The Washington critic., 1887-01-20
CALL FOR AN ICE BOAT.
The Imperative Necessity Of Opening
the River.
VIEWS OF THE MERCHANTS.
What They Think of the District Com
nissiOners' Suggestion.
OF THE MERCHANTS.

While the merchants along the river
front, from the Arsenal to the Aque.
duct, are almost unanimous In their
opinion that means should be speedily
provided for opening the river, there Is
a difference of opinion regarding the
means to be employed. The recent
reply of the Commissioners to Senator
Mahonc's request for information rs to
the estimated cost and dcsirability of
an icc.boat, has rcawakencd interest In
that much. discussed subject The
Commissioners believe that boat
costing about $50, 900 should be bought
for use as police boat, and If It could
he adapted TO the purpose, for an ice.
boat also. 1t is generally thought that
police and ice.boat combined is
wholly impracticable. In speaking
with a CRITIC reporter about 1t, Mr..
Joseph IL. Lee, one OF the most prOmi
nent men along the river front In
Georgetown, said:
81 think we should have an ice.boat,
but not an ice boat and police boat
combined. A boat to be eilectual for
an ce-boat would be too large for
police purposes. An ice boat could
certainly earn half her running ex.
penses in towing vessels when she is
not needed to break the ice. If the
District had such an ice.boat as that
used in Philadelphia the only cost to
speak of would be the first cost.
''lf we had an ice boat we would not
complain of short fuel In the winter.
If captains were sure that our river
would be found open they would be
very glad to bring coal from Philadel
phia; besides our oyster vessels could
come up and have chance TO make u
little money, instead of shipping by
rail. But what we want most now is
immediate relief-an appropriation to
employ the tugs in breaking up the ice
in the river
Said another representative mer
chant: You cant run police boat
and ice boat in one; 1t won't work. A
police boat should be a lightrunning,
fast vessel; while an ice boat should be
heavy vessel, capable of breaking ice
of all kinds. Why, we keep coil of
rope around our place all the time
ready TO fix on our building In case of
flood. There is no doubt In the world
that We need an ice boat, or, If not, an
appropriation TO open the river with
the tugs, and at once"
Mr.. j. Edward Libbey was as de.
cided in his views: 1--WE need boat to
break the ice between here and the
Aqueduct Bridge ut once, but | don I
think we could use such a boat for a
police boat. A police boat should be q
small, light.running affair, capable of
going up the river TO the boat club
landings, and such boat would not be
heavy enough for an ice boat. The
expense of running a heavy ice boat in
the summer as police boat would be
too great. There is no city in the
country but Washington that pretends
TO have any commerce that does not
keep an ice boat. Here the whole
burden of opening the river falls on a
few men. We are asked every year to
subscribe money to open the river, and
for one think 1t about time the Gov.
ernment itself should do something In
the matter. There ought to be some
| action taken at once 10 clear the river.
If there is not we will see something
serious as soon as II thaw sets in"
ut would be the best thing that has
happened to Washington merchants for
years If g ongress would give us an ice
boat, said Mr.. Thomas Riley. why
the oysters you are paying from sew
eniy.five to ninety cents for now could
be bought for about thirty five cents II
the river was open and these twenty
five or thirty oyster boats you see lying
around could get to work. Their own
ers have gone home because they SET
no possible way of doing anything
But let the river open and see how
| quickly they will all come back" Re
| gaTding the Commissioners suggestion
he said I'VE don't need such a heavy
boat TO break the ice aud II could be
used for police purposes very we'll"
In fact THE Critic reporter found
that the merchants along the river from
think that the ice In the river should b,
broken, and broken at once. The ice |!
all the way from five to nine inche
in thickness, and In case thaw SHOULD
set in the damage to shipping woult
be very serious. Navigation Is com
pletely checked, and there Is danger o
a coal famine. The only coal the city
receives now Is that shipped by rail
and merchants generally favor thu
plan for an ice boat for next year, bu
want immediate relief, and say II 1t Il
not given the city is liable TO have a.
serious a flood as that of 1881.